Eben and the Forest of Talent
by omegapainter
Summary: It has been several years since the epic of Ori and the revitalization of the forest. But on a day when no spirit guardian should have been born, there was one, his name was Eben.
1. Chapter 1 Unusual

**Ch 1 Unusual**

Light. Intense, pure, all-encompassing light. It flowed around me, wrapping me in waves of warmth and comfort. But it diminished in power and security, which gave me great discomfort and confusion as to why. In one final moment, the light returned in great splendor and disappeared altogether and a different reality came into existence; one that lacked the safety and peace that I knew.

I feel something cold and hard underneath me. I open my eyes and see my hands. I strain to sit up from the ground to get a closer look at them. As I turn them over, I notice an inexplicable sense of light that emanates from them. The purity of the light and the softness of the fur that covers them calms my anxious emotions. The sight of them gives me a sense of safety and comfort like the warmth and peace that I once had. But, looking up I see the endless darkness encompasses me and the greatness of the contrast it has against the light of my body. I looked around and see trees that tower overhead and sink deep into the distance. Uncomfortable noises of all variety fill the air.

Immediately, my mind fills with anxiety and fear. "W _hat is this place_? _Why am I here? I want to go back. I want to go back to the light."_ I am completely and utterly terrified. Everything around me is unknown and dangerously mysterious. The light that comes from my body only dimly lights my surroundings. I inhaled the air in unease, the cold moist air startles my senses and causes me to cough. I look behind me, searching for some source of light. I see a beam of light that parts the darkness through the thick fog. Weak, fearful, and desperate, I try standing. But I fall to the ground before I can even make a single step. Instead, I clamber to the little portion of light; the tiny sliver of safety in this forest of darkness.

The bushes behind me rustle. My heart beat quickens and my body freezes in place. From between the bushes emerge two glowing hands that part the shrubs to reveal a creature whose fur glows like mine, only much brighter. It slowly approached me, but I leaned back, worried it might attack me. The creature spoke to me.

"Are you ok? What is your name?"

I reply, "E-Eben." " _Odd, I never thought of a name before._ "

She continues towards me, "I'm Amita, I saw your Spark fall from the Spirit Tree. It is unusual that your Spark fell at this time of year."

"A Spark? What is a Spark? And what is the Spirit Tree?" I ask.

"Well, all of us are born from Sparks, a leaf filled with the light of the Spirit Tree. The Spirit Tree is where we all came from, he is our Father. I can show you. Here, let me help you up." She reaches her hand out and I gingerly grab it. She gently lifts me up, but I have barely enough strength to stand, let alone walk. I feel myself fall for a moment, but Amita grabs my forearm and hoists me back up. "Are you alright?"

"I can't walk. It hurts to stand." I reply.

She looks at me quizzically and says with compassion, "Come, we need to get you to a Spirit Well to heal you. I know it hurts, but you have to walk." As I put my one painful foot in front of the other, she said, "Strange, all the Sprits I have seen born can walk easily from their first moments."

"Spirits?" I asked.

"Well, that is what you and I are, Spirits. But for now, you need to save your strength to walk."

Due to my difficulty in walking, our journey to the Spirit Well, as Amita called it, seems to take an eternity. Through the dense forest of trees and foliage I still feel the fear of the darkness and the unfamiliarity of everything. But it's the greater light that emanates from Amita that gives me comfort and overcomes the distress I had felt before. We walk slowly but in a firm direction. In the distance, I see another spirit running.

Amita calls out, "Kynan, could I have a little help here?"

He stops for a moment and runs towards us. "Yes, do you need— Why is he so dim?"

Amita replies, "I don't know, I found him far from the Spirit Tree. Not only that, he has difficulty walking. We need to get him to the nearest Spirit Well."

Kynan nods then speaks to me calmly, "What's your name?"

"Eben."

"Eben. That's quite a name. How did you get so far from the Spirit Tree?"

"I don't know, I just woke up there. I don't remember anything else before that except light."

Amita spoke directly to Kynan. "I heard an explosion and saw his Spark fall from the Spirit Tree. I followed him and found him back there, weak and afraid."

"Well then, lets get him back home."

With the help of Amita and Kynan, a quicker pace is assumed without having pain sear through my weakened bones and frail limbs. As we continue our journey, I notice the forest slowly shift from a refuge for darkness into a brilliantly lit clime of wonder and beauty. Wherever I look, I see a new color more pleasing and vibrant than the last. We walk across several creeks with water that glistens in the light of the sun and reflects the peaceful blues of the bright sky. Occasionally I see little creatures without their own light, they chitter and scamper from place to place. I see many other creatures like butterflies and birds all across the forest. " _This place is so beautiful_ " I think to myself.

Amita and Kynan stop abruptly. I look ahead to see a four-footed beast twice my size covered in three large dark plates that form a protective shell. Its head is large and consists of a massive bone that appears to be able to destroy anything by brute force. Its eyes glow a foreboding green from its deep eye socket. It snorts, planted its stumpy feet in the ground and frills its armor plates. "Kynan," Amita said, "When I create the barrier, take Eben and get up that terrace behind that Rammer."

Kynan nods and stances himself as Amita lets go of me and takes a few steps towards the creature.

The creature rushes towards us and Amita kneels one leg to the ground. I turn my gaze and squint my eyes in anticipation of being crushed by the thick-boned beast. My closed eyes sense a dramatic increase of light. I open back up my eyes to see the whole forest seeming to glow with a vibrant teal light. The once silent forest is now filled by a deep smooth rumble. I look ahead to see a wall of pure energy that is almost too bright to even look at. It is directly in front of Amita who is positioned with one hand pointing to the ground behind her and the other curving up like the wall of light in front of her. The animal strikes the barrier with a loud boom and a gargled roar. The barrier deforms from the impact and brightens and dims in waves. Unexpectedly, I feel Kynan pull me through the disappearing barrier and towards the terrace up ahead. Barely catching my feet, I stumble and nearly fall while in Kynan's grasp. I look back, I see the beast shaking its head, recovering from the blow. Amita is also close behind us and catching up to meet us.

We make it to the terrace, but the beast turns back towards us, and now being infuriated, begins to rush at us again. Unable to climb myself, Kynan and Amita boosts me up. I peer back over the ledge to see the brute closing in on them. Amita helps Kynan up the terrace and, in the last moment, reaches down to the ground throws her arm up from of her as if to block the impeding doom. As she does, a wall of light flares from the ground and blocks the charger from crushing her into the stone below us. She then quickly climbs up the wall with Kynan helping her the last little distance. The light barrier then slowly disappears into the mist of the forest. The creature below looks up at us with frustration in its green glowing eyes. "Don't worry, it can't get us up here" Amita says.

Breathing heavily and regaining strength from the sprint, I look at her in awe. I ask, "What was that light?"

She answers, "Every individual of our kind has an ability, a gift from the Spirit Tree that allows us to do miraculous things. While some are able to channel their spirit to change an attribute of themselves like movement, others channel their spirit to change the environment around them. My gift as being able to create a temporary barrier is part of the latter group."

"And what is that animal down there?" I say as I point to the bulky bone-plated beast.

Kynan answers me saying, "That is a Rammer, one of the many creatures of chaos and darkness here in Nibel. Usually the Protectors make sure that no dangerous creatures are alive this close to the tree, but this one must have gone unnoticed."

Amita adds, "But we need to get you to a Spirit Well, and soon. You are getting weaker and your light is fading by the moment." I look back to my hands to see that she was right. I am getting dimmer.

"OK, back on your feet." Kynan says as they lift me up once more and guide my steps.


	2. Chapter 2 Revived

**Ch 2 Revived**

We are getting close. I can feel it. The air becomes a little easier to breathe and the blues in the shadows of the forest become a little more visible. "There it is," Amita says as she gestures towards a small cavern. As we enter the cavern, I was expecting it to get dark, but it was full of light. In the center of the cave is a set of massive stones delicately shaped and placed. The stones have simple markings that glowed a calming teal. The carved stones form a series of rings set into one another. In the center was what I can only assume to be the well they spoke of. Coming out of this formation is an ethereal light that gently flowed upward.

"Now," Kynan says as they guide me towards the pillar of light in the well, "try to relax and let the light of the Spirit Tree heal you." Weary and exhausted, I sit down in the center. Amita and Kynan back away and wait. Then I feel it. The light around me brightens and I feel something familiar. The light, the warmth, the energy; just like the feelings of my first memory. I can stand easily now; the pain no longer sears through my limbs. The fog in my mind clears and my fur now glows just as bright as Amita and Kynan's. I feel strong. As an exercise of strength, I jump high into the air, nearly twice my height above the ground.

I land on my feet with nearly the grace of a leaf. It is almost effortless to walk. "This is incredible!"

Kynan says, "There is so much more to show you. In fact, there are hundreds of us."

Amita adds, "Let's go to the Spirit Tree," as she and Kynan step onto the well stone.

I look at them curiously asking, "Isn't the Spirit Tree out there?" as I point outside of the cavern.

"Yes, but these Spirit Wells serve another purpose" Amita tells me. She holds my hand and Kynan held ours to complete the circle. The light roared about us and I feel my hooves lift off the well stone. I look around anxiously, wondering what would happen next. We began to spin incredibly fast. The light around us fills my entire vision for a moment before dimming down. Our spinning stops and we land back on the well stone, but this well stone looks different. I look around to see that we are no longer in the cave we were in just a few moments before, instead we are on hill in bright daylight.

"Welcome to the Sacred Meadow," Kynan says.

I can hardly believe my eyes. In front of me is a tree larger than anything I have seen before. Its roots cover an incredibly large area, so large in fact that there are trees growing on the roots that pale in comparison to the mountainous height of the large tree. "Is that the Spirit Tree?" I ask.

Amita responds. "Yes, that is the Spirit Tree, the father of us, his guardians of the forest."

Amita and Kynan steps off the well stone, but I stay, looking at the Spirit Tree in amazement. At the top of the main trunk of the tree, the branches are parted to reveal a bundle of branches that protects a small object of incredible brightness. Its light flows into the air smoothly like water over stones. It is beautiful. As I lower my head to look back to Amita and Kynan, I see hundreds of spirits playing and practicing their talents in the giant meadow of grass. With concern, I hurry down to Amita and Kynan; I don't want to lose my friends in a crowd of other spirits. I still have many questions about everything.

"Wait up!" I call out to Amita. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Kynan and I have our obligations to the Spirit Tree and the forest, to make Nibel a safe haven again. It is a very difficult thing to do." I tilt my head slightly in confusion. Amita walks back to me and holds my hands together. "Stay here where it is safe, with the other young spirits. It would sorrow me greatly to lose you. I'm sorry, Kynan and I have to go, and you need to stay." She let go. "It is for your own safety." She then turns and continues with Kynan to the Spirit Tree.

The Spirit Guardian that saved my life leaves me behind with hundreds of other spirits that I have never seen before. Despite the many guardians around me frolicking and playing games with one another, I feel just as alone as I was in the forest huddling myself under the only light I could see. But this is different. This new feeling crushes me and forces me down to the ground. My eyelids become heavy and my breathing grows irregular. My vision becomes blurry as my eyelids fill with water and begin to drip down my fur covered face. I am crying. The sadness overwhelms my senses near to the point of despair.

"Hi, I'm Geela, what's your name?"

I look up at the spirit who spoke, but my eyes are watered over. I blink a few times and wipe the tears from my cheek. "I'm Eben, a newcomer."

"Cool," she responds. "Do you want to join our group?"

"Group?", I snuffle.

"Yes, our group. You look so sad. Come, have some fun." She extends her arm to me and pulls me up off the ground despite her being smaller than me.

"What game are we playing?"

"We're going to play tag the forest."

Her words stop me in my tracks. "Isn't that dangerous? What about all of the creatures of darkness?"

"Not as long as we can still see the sacred meadow. Come on!" She holds my hand and gently leads me towards the forest, skipping slightly as she travels. She begins slowly but moves faster as we go. I have difficulty keeping up with her. She could really run fast. I stop at the threshold of the forest and the meadow. Nearly exhausted from the intense running, I ask, "Do you always like going fast?"

Geela turns back and sees my state of exhaustion. With the most gentle and genuine voice she says, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to tire you, I just run fast when I am happy. I'm happy that you are my new friend."

"Friend?"

From the trees I hear another voice. "Hey, Geela! Are you going to play tag with us and introduce us to your new friend?" There are three spirits, the first spirit called to us and the other two are peeking around the tree looking and hiding from each other. The tree they are in has branches that curve and curled back on itself, creating a web of easily climbable branches. Easily climbable that is, if you could get to the first branch. But that was too high to reach even with a strong jump.

Geela looks back at me and says "Come on, have fun with us." Then she runs to the tree where her friends are. Ahead of her is a blue plant that comprises of a single large bulb with a few flat leaves beneath. She jumps on it, and to my surprise, she soars up through the air and onto a branch of the large tree. I prepare myself to do the same. I run to this peculiar plant and jump on it. I am immediately accelerated towards the branch, but I miss it. I fall back down to the ground and I go from feeling joy to feeling fear. I yell slightly as I fall back to the ground, but the blue plant springs me back up to the branch. I barely grab onto the massive branch.

"Help!" I cry out as I feel myself sliding down the side of the branch.

Geela and one of her friends grabs my arms and pulls me up to the top of the branch. My body shakes in fear and my breathing even more so. Geela asks, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm just a little woozy," I reply.

"Ok. Well, when you are ready, come join us, I promise it will be fun."

They leave me where I sat and join their friends running up and down the curving and overlapping branches of the tree. Geela is the quickest of the four. She bolts up and down the branches with such speed and yet, full of grace. It looks really fun. I see joy on their faces as they run and tag each other with a gentle tap on the shoulder. Their giggly playful state starts to find its way to me. I want to join in.

I stand up in an enthusiastic yell and say, "Ready or not here I come!"


	3. Chapter 3 Truth

**Ch 3 Truth**

 **AMITA**

"Stay here where it is safe, with the other young spirits. It would sorrow me greatly to lose you. I'm sorry, Kynan and I have to go, and you need to stay." I let go of Eben's hands. "It is for your own safety." I turn back to Kynan to walk with him to the Spirit Tree without another word.

I can't help but think that what I had done was wrong. " _I feel really sorry for Eben"_ I think to myself _. "He looked so sad, I wish he could come with me, but he is not ready. He would have been a complete stranger."_

"Frustrating but true," Kynan interrupts.

I nudge his shoulder, "Kynan, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't like it when you read my mind."

"Or see your past, yeah, lots of times."

I sigh, Kynan is my friend and a fellow teacher of the Protectors of Nibel, although, as of late, he is more focused on rediscovering the secrets of Nibel. His ability to look into the past has been vital in finding lost spirits or recovering lost knowledge and the history of the forest. Thousands of years of history were lost in the days of decay. Countless teachings of many great Spirit Guardians about the nature and mastery of talent had vanished in those few months. Very little has been recovered due to the immensity of time and limitations of Kynan's ability to see in the past. The further he looks, the more distorted it becomes.

As we walk towards the Spirit Tree, it becomes more prominent and majestic. Its height is magnificent and the light that emanates from within is powerful and bright, even in the full light of the sun. I can remember that day so long ago, the day I was called to be a Protector of Nibel. I 'think back to that day, remembering almost every detail.

.. .. ..

 _"Amita, wake"_

 _The Spirit Tree's voice was deep and powerful, but soft and quiet like the wings of a butterfly._

 _"Come to me, there is someone I want you to meet"._

 _I pushed of the ground and stood up. All the sensations of living came to me all at once, sights, smells, touch, all adding to my experience. Understanding the voice, I walked to the tree with ease. Everything was bright and glorious; the grass was extraordinarily green and the sky so vibrantly blue. I looked to the Spirit Tree and saw brightly glowing leaves fall and touch the ground and emitting light. From these leaves of light, Spirit Guardians were born._

 _When I had arrived at the base of the Spirit Tree, a Spirit Guardian stood before me, one whose Spirit was perceptibly far stronger than mine. His gentle voice caught me off guard._

 _"Amita, the Spirit Tree has told me much about you. He has asked to teach you the secrets of our great heritage and the harnessing of your innate abilities" Ori said. Other Spirit Guardians came to Ori. All of them had been called by the Spirit Tree. Ori continued, "now that you are all here: Amita, Kynan, Alana, Nuri, and Tyra, you have been called by the Spirit Tree to protect your fellow siblings."_

 _We all understood the great duty we had been given. He taught and trained us to practice our talents as a tool to defend our innocent brothers and sisters. When he wasn't teaching or recounting the rebirth of the forest, he spent time with his more familiar family, namely Naru, Gumo, and Kuro's owlet, Ku._

.. .. ..

I come back from my memory realizing our current tasks, to train other Spirits to make the entire forest safe again. The situation is improving, but the work is not yet done. Most of the central part of the forest, including Ori's home, are safe. Ori had done enough to save the entire forest from destruction, so it is our task to finish what he had started.

Once Kynan and I approach the roots of the Spirit tree, I meet with my students and begin teaching them how to focus their individual light and strengthen their talents so that one day, the entire forest of Nibel can be safe once more from those creatures of darkness. Kynan goes to the Root of Records, a place where he records and gathers the rediscovered lost knowledge of Nibel. Even with the many Spirit Guardians now, we still can't reach even the nearest of the three elemental forces, the Ginso Tree. The creatures of darkness are too dense for one Spirit to attempt to go alone. Kynan so desperately wants to uncover those ancient secrets of a time when the Spirit Guardians were strong, resilient, and masters of the Elements.

 **EBEN**

"Eben, what do you mean you don't know how", Geela asks as kindly as when she first met me.

"I just don't know how you use your gifts, I don't even know how to use mine." I respond.

"It's simple" one of her friends say, "you just focus your thoughts and you'll feel your talent swell and manifest itself." I try, but nothing works. Focusing on my own thoughts seems impossible and the idea of using my spirit energy to do some physical thing felt silly. I follow their every instruction, I reach out my hand, close my eyes, and focus. When I open my eyes again, everything is still the same. I don't even glow brighter, unlike my friends when they focus their energy.

"I can't do this alone, I need help" I say as I stand up.

Geela, her voice as sweet and kind as ever, asks me, "where are you going"?

"To Amita and Kynan, they might be able to help me."

"You can't go to them."

"Why not, they are the ones that rescued me in the forest and brought me here"

"Eben, you shouldn't go because… they have more important things to do."

"I have to try", I say adamantly.

"Well, come back when you are done."

I don't wait another minute, in fact, I run towards the base of the Spirit tree. I cannot bear the idea of not knowing how to use my talent. The thought of not having a talent terrifies me. I keep thinking, " _There must be a way for me to discover my talent, there has to be."_ At last I see Amita surrounded by other Spirit Guardians. She is speaking to them. I slow myself and listen to what she is saying.

"Each one of us is a child of the Spirit Tree. We have each been given an ability and a was to show the power of our Father. We do that by expressing the ability that he has given to each of us. The strongest link we have to our ability is through him. So, close your eyes."

Without hesitation, I stop walking, closed my eyes, and listen carefully to Amita. I then follow her every instruction.

"Take your mind to the Spirit Tree and feel our Father's light and power."

I focus on the Spirit Tree and to my pleasant surprise, it actually works. I can visualize and see the light of the Spirit Tree in my minds eye. I can feel the power of the Father, his warmth and power flow through me. I am filled with the feeling of calm and a sense of peace.

Amita continues, "Now take in that light around you and pull it in, absorb it."

I suddenly freeze when she says that. I am confused as to how I can even do that. I try, but every attempt I make to absorb the light and strength around me is as futile as trying to grab an armful of air. I open my eyes and look to the group of Spirits that Amita is teaching. Each one of them is glowing brighter than before. I look down to my arms and attempt to release any energy that I might have, but nothing happens. Frustrated and deeply troubled by my incapability to release that energy, I walk towards Amita.

"Now it is very important that you learn how to control your abilities so that— Eben? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know how to use my talent, and if there is anyone that could help me, I knew it would be you."

With masked tension in her voice, she says, "Ok, why don't you come with me Eben." I follow her as we leave the group of students and walk a short distance around one of the massive roots of the Spirit Tree. "All right, what is really going on?"

"I tried everything that you said, but nothing happened. I closed my eyes and saw and felt the Spirit Tree's power, but I couldn't harness it. I tried everything. When I looked to the other Spirits around you, they glowed brighter, but, I didn't."

Amita bites her lip in unease. "I… I don't know how to help you. I have never heard of any Spirit not being able to use their ability at least in some small part. But then again, I had never seen a Spirit born that was so weak and so dim until I found you."

 _"I'm a lost cause."_ I can sense it in her voice. My vision again becomes watery from my own tears.

"Perhaps Kynan might know some answers. He has been able to find answers when I have not."

Her words give me hope. " _Kynan might know,"_ I think to myself. "Where is Kynan?"

"He is over there" She points to an adjacent root of the massive Spirit Tree. Not waiting another second, I run to the place where Amita pointed. As I draw closer, I see an opening in the root and a light from within. I enter the opening and see a few Spirits carrying pieces of thin stone and arranging them on the many shallow openings in the side of the hollow. Then I see him, Kynan is near the end of the wooden cavern. He was marking on some stone tablets. He looks up to me.

"Eben? What are you doing here? Do you need something from me?"

"Amita sent me here because she thought you could help me."

"Help you with what?"

"My talent. I don't know why, but I can't do anything. I tried what she said, taking my mind to the Spirit Tree, but nothing happened in the real world, I didn't even glow brighter."

Kynan pauses for a moment. He then walks to one of the walls that are partially filled with stone tablets. He graces his fingers across them as if looking for a particular record. "Here we go", he says as he pulls a few out. "The Epic of Ori" he says as he looks them over.

He begins reading, "We shall always remember the night when I lost Ori to the Great Storm. When Naru embraced my light as a child of her own."

"You see Eben, Ori didn't have his own abilities either. This is because of his early separation from the Spirit Tree. His spark had not fully developed, the same probably happened to you."

"But how did he gain his abilities?" I ask.

"Well, he was able to learn the abilities of other Spirits through Ancestral Trees throughout the forest of Nibel, but the forest is a big place and the revival of the Spirit Tree has toughened the darkness, making it more difficult to explore or expand the healers of the forest. The ancestral trees can only be used once, so all the light that Ori absorbed is still within Ori. We would need to find an Ancestral tree that he didn't find. But I have not found one yet." he says as he places the tablets back on the shelf.

I became frustrated with that truth. "So, that's it? I will be stuck without an ability until the forest is safe and when an ancestral tree is found? How long will that take?"

"I honestly do not know. It could take years." Kynan places his hand on my shoulder. "But you should not give up hope. The future has great potential"

I nod my head slightly. "Ok, I'll trust you." _"But what he said was so hard to accept, I didn't know if I still had any hope."_

"In the meantime, get some rest, the sun is setting. Just find the group you were with, they will find you a place to sleep."

I leave the root hollow and return to the tree where Geela's group played tag, but I cannot find them. Most of the Spirits were have now gone into the trees to sleep. "Geela, where are you?" I yell out.

"Up here." I jump on one of those special plants and find Geela and her group in a sizeable hole in the tree. "You were gone a long time Eben; I was beginning to worry about you. Here, we saved you a spot to sleep" I climb in and laid down on the open spot and rested my head. "Did you get the help you were looking for?"

"No, they couldn't help me."

"I'm sorry about that Eben. I know that it is hard on you. Well, Good night. Sweet dreams."

"Good night Geela" Even though I'm incredibly exhausted, my mind continues to wonder about my future. " _How could I ever be accepted if I didn't have an ability of my own? Ori's Spark fell early because of the Great Storm. So, if there was no storm this morning, then what caused the early release of my Spark from the Spirit Tree?"_ These thoughts plague my mind until I finally fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4 Missing

**Ch 4 Missing**

"Eben, wake up." I am nudged awake and open my eyes, happy to see Geela's familiar face. "Eben, you were asleep for so long."

"I was, for how long?"

She gently smiles, "Long enough that I was beginning to miss you." She offers her hand toward me and helps me off the floor of the hollow. While getting up, I notice that I am not feeling as strong as yesterday. " _Probably just a morning thing."_ Geela beckons me to come out with her. We slid down the tree and walked to the meadow together. Everyone else is doing the usual: playing with other spirits or practicing their talent. It is such a pretty thing to see, all the spirits enjoying themselves, but the joy I feel was immediately displaced by a deep sense of despair. I remember what I learned last night. _"I have no talent"_.

"Eben, there is something I want to show you. Something special." She takes my hand again, swinging her arms back and forth in joy as she skips She leads me to the other side of the meadow, into the thicket of trees. I forgot how dark the forest was, the canopy of leaves blocks so much of the light. As we continue through the forest, I drag a bit behind Geela, unsure of how far she will go.

"It is not much further. We can still see the meadow." She pulls me along just as happy as she was yesterday. Deeper and deeper into the woods we go until the sunlit meadow was nearly covered by the trunks of the trees in front of it. She crouches down to a patch of ferns and lifts the edges of a few of the leaves. Under the leaves is a glowing, shimmering crystal. The blue light echoes the appearance of the light of the Spirit Tree.

"It's beautiful, isn't it Eben?" I kneel beside her, marveling at the crystal and the beautiful movement of the light inside it.

Wanting to know what is, I ask her, "Is it—"

"Shh," she says quietly, her ears turn, listening to the forest. "We need to go back," she whispers. "It is not safe here." She carefully and slowly stands and lightly treads back towards the Sacred Meadow.

- _snap_ \- We both turn around towards the source of the sound. There, in the bushes, are two orange eyes looking right back at us.

"RUN!" Both Geela and I dashed towards the meadow. I look back see the creature of darkness jump out of the bushes and throw its fists onto the ground, shaking the ground and destroying some of the foliage around it. Fear courses through me. " _If that creature gets too close to me, I am as good as dead."_ I run as fast as I can. But the weakness that I felt in the morning comes back to me all at once. I lose the strength in my legs and slow down. The guttural noises of the creature and the sound of its destructive stomp keep getting closer, and louder. Its blue, scaly body and warty, orange fists continue crushing the ground beneath it and creating shock waves that are strong enough to be felt. And it keeps getting closer. - _boom_ -

"EBEN!" Geela cries out.

I call back, "I can't run faster!" - _Boom_ \- I am thrown off balance by the force of the creature, but I regain my footing and continued running as fast as I could. I almost reach the edge of the forest and - _BOOM-_ The creature strikes the ground right behind me. The force of the stomp throws me into the air, towards the trunk of a tree. -Whomp- The pain of the impact surges through every part of my body.

I am struck with such pain that I can barely move. I force my eyes open to see the creature of my doom make one final leap to finish me off. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bolt of light intercepts the creature, knocking it away from me. I cast my gaze towards the light and see that it is another spirit, adorned with a sash of woven leaves. He runs toward the creature, hitting and kicking it while twirling in the air.

The creature jumps once more to crush the Spirit. But he blocks the crushing blow, sending the creature of darkness flying backwards. It retreats, back into the dark forest from which it came. The spirit, standing strong like a mountain, yells out towards the fleeing beast, "And if you come back again, I will be that last thing you ever see!"

Geela rushes to my side, placing her hand on my bruised head. "Eben, are you all right?"

"I— I don't feel well at all."

The other spirit also approaches me. "May I h- Geela!?" His voice instantly goes from calm to upset. "Geela! How many times must we tell you that the forest is dangerous before you understand that we are absolutely serious?"

"Aaro, I'm sorry. I just wanted to show Eben one of the energy crystals you and the other defenders use to protect Nibel."

"How can we- He catches his words and speaks more softly. "How can we protect you if you endanger yourself by not following the rules? The rules are there to protect you. I can't be responsible for the loss of another sibling to a painful death in the forest that is still very much covered in darkness. I have already seen two die in front of my eyes, and today, your friend almost became the third." Aaro crouches down to me, pulling a few loose strands from his sash and placing them on my bruises.

"If you go back into any part of the forest that the defenders do not guard, I cannot promise that anyone will be there to protect you."

"But I can look after myself. I can outrun all of the creatures of darkness." Geela protests.

"But he can't. He can't outrun a Stomper. You saw that yourself." Aaro says as he helps me to my feet. But my legs are weak and wobbly again and I fall into Aaro's arms. "Are you all right?" he asks.

I grimace, "I am so hurt and so weak. It is hard to stand."

He looks at me closely. "You are dim. Your light, it is weak." He pauses for a moment, wondering what he should do. "I am going to carry you to the Spirit Well. Are you all right with that?"

"Yes." Immediately he lifts me onto his back and carries me.

"Eben, can you promise me something?" Aaro asks.

"Yes?"

"Stay where is it is safe. Please." We cross the threshold of the forest into the meadow. The sunlight warms my skin, bringing back the peace and safety of the light.

"I don't think I even want to go back to the forest." Aaro continues carrying me to the Spirit Well, doing so as gently as possible. While I am bruised and in pain from the encounter with the Stomper, I feel safe as he carries me. I sense that he was strong and unwavering. It was his duty to defend Nibel, or, more specifically, the young Spirits of Nibel.

He places me in the center of the Sprit Well. The energy of the Spirit Tree revives my strength and heals my wounds once more. I hug Aaro, telling him, "Thank you for saving me back there."

"Be safe Eben," he said, hugging me back. He returns to the forest in haste, not even glancing back.

I felt a hand gently ctouch my shoulder. "Eben," Geela said, her voice more worried now. "I'm sorry that I put you in danger by taking you too deep into the forest. But I really wanted to show you that energy crystal." Her ears droop and her eyes look to the ground.

I am not quite sure what to think. Geela is honest; she was sorry. " _But she still endangered me. She knew that the forest we went into wasn't safe. I almost died."_

"Eben, I'm so sorry," she says again, her sight shifting between my eyes and the ground.

"I accept your apology." I just sit there at the edge of the Sprit Well, thinking and remembering the terrible experience I had in the forest. The pain, fear, and danger of the forest was obvious. I have already promised Aaro to stay in the meadow, so I promise myself: " _I will never go back into the forest while it is still dangerous. If I go again, I may never come back alive."_

"Eben?" Geela looks at me with tears in her shaking eyes. "Do you forgive me?"

"Of course, I do." I forgive her in my heart, but my mind kept wandering to the fact that I could have died. Seeing the sadness in her eyes, I hug her, hoping that it will make her feel better. Her ears perk back up again, the joy returns to her face.

"So," she asks, "do you want to play tag again?"

"In the forest? No way, not there."

Her expression changes to complete shock. "Wha— I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend, I just don't want to go back into that forest." She turns away and walks slowly back to her tree. As she returns, she does not run or even skip, but slowly, and sadly walks on. _"Come on Eben, tell her you are sorry!"_ I tell myself. But I can't get myself to do it. _"What if she goes back into the forest again? What if she won't treat me the same again? What if—"_ My mind continues to stall me from doing what I need to do to solve the problem I had caused. But now that I have finally gathered enough conviction to go and apologize to her, I cannot find her.

I get up and go toward her tree. " _She must be somewhere over there."_

 **AMITA**

I rush through the dense foliage, my hooves pounding against the ground. _"What is going on here? In all the time that I have been alive, those Spirit Wells have been always been reliable. Why would this time be any different?"_ I know that something is not right.

"Amita! Where are you going?"

I glance behind me to see one of my most dutiful students running to catch up with me. "Nuri, I thought I told you to stay and protect the west side of the Meadow!" I keep running towards the Spirit Well.

He responds with a tone of urgency in his voice. "Aaro said that he could cover for me, and you looked like you were in a hurry." Then he continues wittily, "So, whatever it is that you are running to must be very important and most likely dangerous.

I shake my head. He knows me too well, I can't hide my emotions from him.

"And if it really is so dangerous, you might want a little more firepower on your side instead of going alone like usual."

" _He is right. I often go by myself on these quests. His ability to create a Spirit Flame and attack with it has been invaluable at times. It is probably best if he tags along just in case the situation becomes dire."_ "All right," I say, "Stay close, I have a really bad feeling about this."

We continue running at breakneck speed, jumping and dodging past creatures of darkness as we go. Clearing them for this part of the forest is not important. We have to find out what is wrong with the Chasm Spirit Well. No matter how many times I tried at the Meadow Spirit Well, I could not transport myself to it. No Spirit Well can connect to it.

We arrived at Kurro's Chasm. The canyon is lit with the beautiful colors of sunset, echoing the orange dust of Sorrow Pass further North. I look to where I knew the Spirit Well to be. Instead of seeing a pristine arrangement of rock and root glowing with the light of the Spirit Tree, I see a pile of rubble.

"No," I exhale in disbelief. I make my way to the remains of the Spirit Well. As I get closer, the destruction of the Spirit Well becomes more and more apparent. After many detours across the chasm's cliff walls, Nuri and I finally reached what remains of the Well. "How-" my voice shakes with fear and desperation. "How could this … happen?" Broken stone and shattered wood are all that remain of the Well. I reach down, grabbing one of the stones that once had the glowing markings, but the light it once carried is now completely extinguished. "Nuri, what could have done this?" I toss the rock back onto the pile.

The ground rumbles and the air fills with the sound of crumbling rock. The rubble of the Spirit Well is heaved in all directions. In the same instance, a tall pillar of darkness erupts from the ground. The top of that tall, dark form curves towards us. Two eyes stare right back at us from this black snakelike form. I have never seen anything quite as large as this. It's a huge creature with scales as black as obsidian with hints of purple iridescence. Its jaws gape open to reveal two sharp fangs that curved into its blackened mouth.

Its eyes lock onto mine and pulls its head back, ready to strike. In haste, I touch the ground and pull up an energy barrier. The deep whoosh once again filled the air and the light filled the space around us as the creature lunges towards us. I tense, preparing for the worst. Immediately, the creature impacts the barrier… and shatters it. I am sent flying through the air, tumbling backwards head over tail. I hit the cliffside, rolling atop the slippery, dusty stones. I barely catch a ledge to keep from falling into the river below. I look back towards the giant snake to see Nuri dodging the attacks of the creature of darkness above me. He attacks it by throwing spheres of spirit flame at it. But, the snake smacks Nuri into the canyon wall, and he falls into the canyon.

He falls past me, completely limp, towards the tumultuous waters below. In desperation to save his life, I jump in towards him.

 **EBEN**

I tried looking and calling for Geela, but I couldn't find her without stepping my foot back into the forest. I found her friends, whom I had met yesterday. But even they could not find her. Geela did not return to her tree at all. So, I gave up and sat myself back down on the Spirit Well. I'd look for her again tomorrow. Remembering back to the painful experience with the Stomper only strengthened the conviction I had. " _Never, I am never going back into the forest until it is completely safe."_

"That is a very sad thing to promise yourself." Startled, I turn around to see Kynan, his form outlined by the setting sun. He sits down beside me. "The forest of Nibel has never truly been safe, even before the Days of Decay."

"What?" I ask quizzically. "I thought things were perfect before."

"Eben, there has never been a time where everything is perfect. There is always something that happens that shouldn't. There are always troubles and mistakes. It is part of life." Everything he says seems so counterintuitive. "The thing is, the forest of Nibel will always be at least a little dangerous." He clasped his hand on my shoulder. "I know you had a really bad experience today, but so have most of us. Don't let fear decide what you will do and what you will not do."

I think about it for a moment. "But Aaro—"

Kynan reiterates firmly, "Aaro is right, you should stay where it is safe. And there are safe places in the forest around the Sacred Meadow. Where Geela went wasn't safe. But the areas at the South end of the meadow are safe."

His words are hard for me to understand. _"If the forest was never entirely safe, how could the south areas be safe?"_

"Eben." I look back to Kynan. "It's ok to go off exploring. You shouldn't be confined to this place completely. I assure you, the closest portions of the Thornfelt Swamp are safe. If you are really so worried about running into another creature of darkness, go with a group. They will keep you safe."

His words do make me feel better. But I know that it will be a long time before I can go back into that forest. "Everything is going to be ok. I promise that everything is going to –" He stops speaking and his whole posture changes. He stands alert, staring off into the distance. "I have to go," he says urgently. "Something is wrong, very wrong." Before another word he races off into the forest.

As the sun continues to set, I noticed the sky slowly change colors from blue, to orange, to a light purple, and a dark blue before finally turning to the black of night. As the night grows darker, I am not afraid because of the comforting light of the Spirit Well, which evaporates any of my fears of darkness. As the night continues on, I notice that there were tiny points of light that slowly became more and more noticeable and numerous. They fill the sky in two bands of light that stretch from one side of the sky to the other.

And I lay back, taking it all in. I noticed a small point of light, moving along a distant cliff in the south end of the forest. The light jumps off the cliff edge and glides softly against the background stars towards the east. As it moves, storm clouds begin gathering all across the sky. The billowing masses of cloud grow thicker and darker as it covers the whole sky. Cracks of lighting rip across the horizon making it difficult to keep track of the moving light. Before long, I loose sight of it.

As the wind kicks up and the rain begins to pour down, I realize something. _"Geela never returned to her tree. She is somewhere out there in the forest, but I cannot help her, I can't even help myself."_ In my fear, I become stiff.


	5. Chapter 5 Devastation

**Ch 5 Devastation**

 **Amita**

"Almost there!" I strain to say as I fall. Nuri, limp and unconscious, is just beyond my reach. I angle my body down to glide the last little distance towards him. In doing so, I see the river below us, churning itself in the rocks creating deadly whitewater. And it is approaching fast. I reach again for Nuri's unresponsive hand, but I just graze his fingertips. I clamber for his hand and grasp it with only a second before we would splash down in the foamy water or land on a hard, slippery rock below. I pull Nuri close to me and try creating a Spirit Barrier only to remember that I can only do that when I am in contact with the ground.

-Splash-Crack- "Gahh!" I scream out in agony as my leg goes numb from the intense pain from breaking against a rock. I lose my grip of Nuri and he drifts from me as we are both swept down the river. "Nuri!" I yell out. I try shaking off the pain of my injured leg, but it feels too much to bear. I see Nuri far in front of me, still unconscious, but still breathing. I paddle towards him, but I am unable to use my left leg. Both the pain and the numbness of it make it impossible to kick the water with. Up ahead, I also see numerous dangerous rapids and eddies that would surely drown Nuri. I get close to him and grab onto his arm with one hand and grab a rock edge with the other. The rock, being unavoidably wet, was too slick to hold onto. My hand slips right off the rock and we both decent into the rapids below.

I am tossed and turned by the swift water as it curves around boulders and fallen trees. I cough and choke for air between the rapids. I struggle to breath myself as I desperately try to keep Nuri alive holding his head above the water. I look further down the river seeing only a continuous stream of rough rapids. -Bang- I yell in pain again from hitting my leg against another boulder. "We have got to get out of this water." We tumble trough rapids and I strain to take Nuri and myself to the river's edge. At last I see a calm, flat portion of the river devoid of rapid water. I swim vigorously with my arm to the gentle eddy and make it to the safety of the calm water. I float myself with Nuri to the bank feeling relief from the near certain death that we avoided. I stand, being careful not to put any pressure on my broken leg and pull Nuri up the bank and up against the canyon wall. "Now what are we going to do?"

I glance skyward, seeing the ever-darkening sky shifting past the sunset colors. "Night, the most dangerous period to be in the forest." I peer up the canyon walls, looking for a safe route to ascend the mighty rocks. Nothing. I try to remember the last time I was here, but the only path I know is far up the river. "Well, better start walking now." I nudge Nuri, but he is still unconscious. _Sigh_ , "I can't carry him far. It will be better If we wait out the night. There isn't much wildlife or creatures of darkness in this stony gorge." I finally look down to my broken leg and see it swollen and tinged purple from bruising.

I hobble over to the river to try using the cold water to reduce the swelling. I pull out a few fronds from my defender's sash and wrap my wound. I pause, wondering about that giant snake we encountered. " _Why was it destroying the Spirit Wells? Where is it going next? The Spirit Tree?"_ A brief flash of light fills the canyon. -crack-rumble-

Lightning. My eyes widen in sudden realization. "We have to move now!" I stagger over to Nuri and anxiously nudge him. "We have to go now, wake up!" No response. A raindrop lands on my head followed by another and another. I clench my jaw in anxiety. "This canyon is going to flood", I say. "And we're in it." I desperately look again for a safe way up. I can't find any, the only ascension points are steep and dangerous. "Anything beats being dead." I find a broken, sturdy branch about my height to use as a walking aid. I take a deep breath and hoist Nuri onto my back. His added weight doubles my pain and makes it perilous to walk.

I take a deep breath and make my way downstream; the landscape rapidly plunging into darkness. I carry Kynan, hoping that there is a way up out of this canyon.

The rain continues falling, becoming more vigorous as time goes on. Cracks of lightning disorient me as I trek over the wet terrain. The river surges as the rains come down harder and harder. Winds begin gusting down the gorge. I look up to the storm clouds and see active flurries of lightning within the clouds above us. And then I see a passageway up the cliffs, on the other side of the river. My hopes are shattered. The river has swollen far too much to cross at all. We would instantly be swept down to our deaths. But as I scan the cliff walls within reach, the one on the other side of the river is the only option I have.

In great dismay, I look to the river that we are about to cross. "But if I…" I think for a moment, take a deep breath, and pace into the raging river. The water hits my legs, splashing upwards. I press onward, with only hope. Within a few more steps, I am almost overcome with the great force of water, I reach my hand towards the ground and create a barrier across a portion of the river. With Nuri on my back, I stride as quickly as I can across the energy barrier's wake. Lightning cracks the atmosphere and the rains descend with great force. As the barrier destabilizes, the border weakens and deforms. It breaks open and I cast another in its place. I take more steps, but the combination of forming barriers combined with my pain and the weight of Nuri takes its toll. I cast another barrier, but in worry and fear because I know that I only have enough energy for one more.

We are in the middle of the river, too far to reach the other side or recede back to our entry point. The barrier undulates, signifying it's weakened state. "I should have thought this through" I say as I cast my last energy barrier. But as that last energy barrier reaches from the ground. It reveals a tall stone, a stone that was sticking out of the river before I make this risky choice. At once, I climb up it on all fours, being careful not to let Nuri slip off of me. The barrier behind us weakens and collapses. I am only halfway up the rock when I see the wave loom towards me. I grab Nuri and hold on to him tight.

 **Eben**

I stiffen in apprehension. The wind kicks up around me. Mabey, she did come back safe. Perhaps she did return. Slipping on the wet grass, I run through the wind and rain to the tree. I jump on the springy plant, and soar to the first branch. I land, but my foot slides from under me. - _Slam-_

"Eben?" a voice calls from inside the tree hollow. "Is that you?" But it isn't Geela's voice, just one of her friends'. "Did you find Geela?"

"No, I thought she would be back by now." I respond back. "Maybe she kept walking in the same direction, but even further into the forest."

"She'll come back, she always does" he says back.

"What do you mean _she always does?_ "

He climbs out of the hollow into the rain. "When she has her feelings hurt, like when you had hurt her, she runs off into the forest for a day or two and comes back perfectly safe."

"But what if she doesn't make it back safely this time?"

"Oh, so you're a defender now huh?"

I look at him quizzically.

"Sorry, I said that. Look, Eben." He places his hand on my shoulder. "The defenders have saved her many times before when she was younger, but now she can run faster than anything in Nibel. If she happened to meet a creature of darkness, she could easily outrun it. It is not our job to protect the forest or to save our siblings. All we can do is keep everyone where it is safe. You've been out there, in the forest. You know how dangerous it is out there. You wouldn't last three hours out there if you were alone and no, I will not come with you. I care about Geela as much as you do and I know that she will return, safe and sound."

"But what if—"

"She Will Return!" he yells as a flash of lightning illuminates the area. He looks back to the sleeping spirits. He continues lowly, "Look, this _has_ happened _multiple_ times before. Don't try rescuing her, she'll come back when she is ready to talk to you." He walks back to the hollow and glances back at me one last time. "Don't endanger yourself trying to save her now, you'll only make things worse." He cradles himself back into his grass bed and drifts off.

Feeling his hostility towards me, I slide down the tree to the ground. I shake my head in frustration. " _It's my fault she's out there. I should at least make sure that she is ok. But I promised myself— promised Aaro, that I would stay where it is safe."_ I step out into the meadow, the rain is coming down even heavier, the vivid lightning arcing across the sky even more frequent. "What will I do?" I ask myself. "I could check towards Thornfelt Swamp, Arro did say it was safe." I run south towards the swamp and hope in my heart that I can find her in there. Somewhere in there.

I run right up to the edge of Sacred Meadow and immediately feel the confidence rush out of me. The wind shakes the wet, dark leaves, coated in the darkness of night. The leaves quiver in the wind, like the strand of a dark spider's web. The longer I glance, the more threatening the forest appears. I am going utterly and entirely alone into the forest. I take in a deep, shaky breath and take my first step into the dark forest.


End file.
